Attention all brand managers, marketing agencies and public relation firms who reach out in any way to online influencers like myself. I hate to break the news to you, but I've got the power in this relationship and you have NONE.
I can write about anything I want. I can say whatever I want. No one but myself chooses when and what I write about or how I do it.
As much as you'd like to influence me and my community, at the end of the day unless you are hiring me in some fashion, then you don't have permission to nag, pester or bug me in any way since this is a one sided relationship and I can dump you at anytime without so much as caring.
Most of you still need a pitching lesson, but today I want you to realize that after the pitch has got my attention and we are moving on that you can't turn into a nag or it won't work out.
Recently I was reached out to by an agency about a new television show. They sent me a USB thumb drive with a copy of the show on it. I get a lot of things like this in the mail so I hadn't had a chance to watch it yet. I got a polite nudge from the agency asking if I planned to write a review and letting me know that the premiere was upcoming so they hoped I could write it before then.
Totally cool and I wrote them back thanking them (since they had never told me about the date so I wasn't in any hurry to write it until then) and had every plan of watching it this weekend and writing a review and told them so. There is nothing wrong with a polite nudge and in many cases it is needed and in this case was perfect since I didn't know there was a time table involved.
But, then for the past two days I got not so polite notes from them asking where the review was and why I hadn't sent them a link yet.
This is where they blew it. This is where they treated me like cattle that owed them something and I politely wrote them back letting them know that because of their nagging I would no longer be posting a review.
I've got a lot of things on my plate. I have a full time job, run several websites, produce lots of content and am an active dad. While getting to see something before the rest of the world is cool and I appreciate it. It doesn't rock my socks so much that I'm going to put up with a lack of good old fashion common courtesies.
I want you to reach out to me. I want to be part of your campaigns and review your products. I would love to have some sort of professional or casual relationship with you and your brand(s). But, you can't abandon straight up good manners if you want that too. Pestering will not get you any coverage from me now or in the future. Be polite please?
